Why
should you, a young Muslim, be helping to bring your friends closer to
Allah? After all, you've got your own struggles to deal with: trying to
explain to hostile teachers why you pray, Hijab discrimination, standing
up in class when the professor attacks Islam, dealing with parents who
think you've gone nuts because you're growing a beard, or all the other
difficulties faced by a number of practicing Muslim youth?

Islam was never
meant to be an individualistic faith, reserved for the "chosen few". Muslims
have a duty to spread the Deen; and practicing Muslim youth, whether beginners,
activists or leaders, have a crucial role to play.

"Allah has
put them in a position that perhaps no one else is in," notes Sheema Khan,
former Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) advisor for eastern Canada.
"They have the means to communicate with their peers, they have an understanding
of what they're going through plus they have the guidance of Islam."

Who is your
childhood friend going to listen to? Who is your childhood friend, who
would rather spend Fridays at McDonalds's than the Masjid, or your classmate
who is Muslim in name and only knows that "Muslims don't eat pork" going
to listen to: the nice Imam of the Masjid who would freak out if he saw
the way they were dressed and talked or you who may have grown up with
them, joked with them, or see them everyday in school?

The answer
is obvious: You.

Don't panic.
Here are some tips and advice which can help. These are advises from other
Muslims, many of whom have been there and done that:

Tip # 1
: Make Your Intention Sincere

All work we
do should ideally be for the sake of Allah. That includes the task of bringing
someone closer to Allah. That of course means this should not be connected
to arrogance, thinking you're the teacher and everyone else should be lucky
you've embarked on a crusade to save them. Guidance is from Allah. Make
Dua and make sincere efforts and remember Allah.

Tip # 2
: Practice What You Preach

Not practicing
what you preach is wrong and you will lose the confidence of anyone, young
or old, once they figure you out. Don't do it.

Tip # 3
: Use The Qur'an, Seerah of the Prophet and Ahlulbait (peace be upon them)

As TABLIGH
Guides Read and understand those chapters of the Qur'an which talk about
how the Prophets presented the message of Islam to their people.

Read the Seerah
to see especially how the Prophet Muhammad and Ahlulbait peace and blessings
be upon them) brought Islam to so many different people, including young
people.

As well, talk
to Tabligh workers, and check out manuals they may havewritten, like
Yahiya Emerick's How to Tell Others About Islam.

Tip # 4
: Talk To People As If You Really Don't Know Them

Don't assume
you know someone just by looking at them. You don't know that the Muslim
girl in your homeroom who walks through the school's hallways as if they
were fashion show catwalks, is not someone you can talk to about Allah
because she looks like a snob. Or that the Muslim guy who you've never
seen at Juma at your university is a "bad Muslim". Maybe he was never really
taught Islam and has no idea what importance Friday prayers have in Islam,
especially for Muslim men.

Tip # 5
: Smile

Did you know
the Prophet was big on smiling? But many "practicing" Muslims seem to have
"their faces on upside down" as one speaker once said-frowning and serious.
Smiling, being polite and kind are all part of the manners of the Prophet,
which we must exercise in our daily lives. If we want to approach others
with Islam, we have to make ourselves approachable. Smiling is key to this.

But note that
being approachable does not mean being flirtations with the other gender.
There are Islamic rules for how men and women should deal with each other
which have to be respected. Tabligh is no excuse to have long and private
conversations and meetings with the other sex, for example. Set up a system
where someone expressing an interest in Islam is referred to someone of
the same sex.

Tip # 6
: Take The Initiative & Hang Out With Them

Take the first
step and invite someone you may have spoken to a couple of times to sit
at lunch together, to check out a hockey game or invite them over for Iftaar
in Ramadan.

Also, share
difficulties, sorrows and frustrations. Help with homework, be a shoulder
to cry on when depression hits, or just plain listen when your friend is
upset, discuss common problems and KEEP THEIR SECRETS. There are few things
as annoying as a snitch and backstabber. But an important note: if the
problem is of a serious nature, (i.e. your friend is thinking of committing
suicide or is taking drugs), notify and consult an adult immediately.

Tip # 7
: Show Them Islam Is Relevant Today, Right Here, Right Now

Young people
may think Islam is too "old fashioned" and not in tune with the modern
age.

Prove this
wrong. Show how Islam is really about relating to Allah, which any human
being can do, anywhere, anytime. Allah is always closer to you than your
jugular vein and He hears and knows everything. Encourage friends to ask
Allah's help during tests, exams, and in dealing with problems at home
with parents and siblings. Also point out how Islam relates to teenagers:
Islam gives you focus and an understanding of who you are and where you
are going, which most of "teen culture" does not.

Tip # 8
: Get Them Involved In Volunteer Work With You

If you are
already involved in the community, get your friend to help out. Ask them
to make a flyer for one of your youth group's events or brainstorm for
ideas about activities to hold this school year. This involvement makes
them feel part of the Muslim community and deepens your friendship, since
you are now working together on something beneficial for both of you. Make
sure you thank them for their contribution.

Tip # 9
: Ask Them 4 Fundamental Questions

As your friendship
develops, you will notice the topics you discuss may become more serious.
You may be discussing, for instance, future goals and plans. Khan recommends
four questions to ask that can steer the topic to Allah and Islam:

a. Where am
I going in life and what would make me really happy deep down inside?b. What do
I believe?c. Who should
I be grateful to?d. Did I get
to where I am today without the help of anyone?

Tip # 10
: Emphasize Praying 5 Times A Day Before Any Other Aspect Of Islam

A person's
main connection with Allah, on a daily basis, is through the prayer five
times a day. Don't emphasize any other aspect of Islam until your friend
starts making a real effort to pray five times a day. Emphasize the direct
connection one has with Allah in prayer. If they are facing a problem,
tell them to pray, and to ask Allah for help in Salah and outside this
time. When possible, make it a point to pray together during your "hang
out time". If your friend begins to pray, that is the first step to other
aspects of Islam like giving up swearing, treating parents with respect
or dressing Islamically.

Tip # 11
: Help Instill Confidence In Adults

Adults, like
Bart Simpson's dad Homer, are considered bumbling idiots in the eyes of
"teen culture". Your job as a young Muslim is to help turn the tables on
this false and un-Islamic belief. All you have to do is this: when a Muslim
adult does something good (i.e. saving someone's life, donating money to
a worthy cause, the Imam gives a good speech, taking good care of his/her
family) bring it up in the course of your conversations with your friend
and praise the adult in question. Doing this regularly may not only change
your friend's perspective, but could lead to them seeing their own parents
in a more respectful way.

Tip # 12
: Support Them Even When They Become More Practicing

Remember, just
because a person starts practicing Islam more regularly, this does not
mean everything will be okay from this point onwards. There will still
be hard times, difficulties. There may be times when your friend may have
doubts about his or her newfound practice of Islam. Be there to reassure
them.